Content Analysis in Organizational Research

What is content analysis?

Content analysis is a research technique used to make replicable and valid inferences by interpreting and coding textual material. By systematically evaluating texts (e.g., documents, oral communication, and graphics), qualitative data can be converted into quantitative data. Although the method has been used frequently in the social sciences, only recently has it become more prevalent among organizational scholars.

This site is offered as a resource by the Department of Management at the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. Mike Pfarrer, professor at the Terry College, has published award-winning research using content analysis techniques. He is co-organizer of an annual workshop on content analysis and is available if you’d like to learn more about content analysis, its applications for research, and its implications for business.

Research & Methodology

Learn more about scholars who utilize content analysis techniques and to see an overview of content analysis methodology.